iron_raptor found a Chocolate Lab wandering around the back of the house yesterday, eating out of someone's garbage (and nearly choked on something, too). Looked like a pretty well-fed dog, (ie. FAT, like most Labs are these days...) and he looked like someone cared for him well enough that they were probably missing him. So I decided to try and lure him into the house with a piece of bread.

Once inside, I gave him some water, and fed him some raw chicken breast, hoping he'd trust me enough to let me look at the tag on his collar, which only said "District of North Vancouver Dog Tag" with a tag number on it. He seemed a bit head-shy at first, but quickly got over his nervousness and let me read the number out to Raptor, who wrote it down. He was also very good about letting me get a prong collar on him, so that I could take him back out on a leash. I was hoping that he'd maybe lead me somewhere, if he lived nearby, while Rap called whatever animal shelter might be open.

Unfortunately, all of the shelters were closed, but in asking the neighbors if they knew this dog, the neighbor two doors down, who happens to be a professional dog obedience trainer (and they also have a couple of pure bred show American Staffordshire Terriers!!) was very friendly and helpful, and said that if we couldn't locate the dog's owner, he would help me set up a crate in his house, and board the dog overnight.

We did find the dog's owner in the end... unfortunately this is the type of owner who should just NOT fucking have a dog, period. She was a young woman, maybe in her early to mid-twenties I would guess, who had just had a baby, and was having problems with her dog taking off on a regular basis. In fact, this was the second time within two weeks that pat_the_fox had seen this dog running around loose, with no owner in sight.

I asked her if she had a leash, and she said no, "I just work down the street there... people keep on coming and going and he keeps getting through the gate." So, unsupervised dog, AND a baby involved.

When I suggested that she get a crate for the dog, so that he could be safely confined while she was at work, she said, "Ohhhh, no no, I couldn't do that to him! He's too old to crate train." I asked how old, and she said four years. I told her straight up, that's not too old to get a dog trained to use a crate, and keeping him confined safely could mean life or death for him, in the end (especially since this is a busy, industrial area!).

I even told her that there was a doggie daycare just up the street, where she could keep him during the day, if she was having trouble watching both the dog and the baby at the same time, while at work. She dismissed the daycare idea, and said she'd just tie him up in the yard.

She thanked me for finding her dog, and then took him by the collar and walked away. I felt SO bloody bad for giving that dog back to her! Not five seconds Pat and I had turned our backs, and she had let the dog go running off again!! >:( I swear to gods, if I see that dog running loose again, I'm nabbing him, and reporting this chick to Animal Control!

Ignorant, negligent owner. The dog was really nice. I just feel bad that he got stuck with such a shit owner.

Anyway, I've started doing a bit of drawing again, while I wait to hear more info regarding both an apartment and a very big potential job. The Scarlet commission is still in the works, but on the side I've also decided to make my own Emoticons. So far I have 4 finished, and 12 more inks to color. Hoping I'll have them done and up here within the next week or two, depending on how much time I have during the next little while to work on personal art.

I took two of my icon images, and am thinking of having a T-shirt made, eventually. I've put both ideas up here, and I still have to decide which one I like the best.

I also want to get my website up and running sometime within the next 6 months. What's the point of paying for web space, when I have nothing up there? O__o

Next time you see that dog running loose, lodge a complaint with AC and state it's not the first time it's been at large. Or pick up the dog, and take it to the shelter first chance you get. Sooner or later something bad is going to happen, and that woman doesn't deserve to get the dog back unless she pays out the nose for it (IE, pays some fines or has to pay to spring him out of "jail"), imo. Lord knows if that tag he had was even up to date...

She's lucky she's not in a more rural area. There are areas in the interior where it's legal to SHOOT dogs running at large.

Thats just sad. She should try to find a good home for him if she doesnt bother to keep an eye on him. Crate training isnt bad. When i go out i have a crate for Sadie, and she sleeps in there at night and likes it alot. I hope something doo happens for that dog :( I'm glad he bumped into you though and not a nutjob.